After Hanna's appointment as captain, Dinorat was given a new mission: to gather voters for the current party, since their salaries could decrease if another party won.
The political parties were divided into: herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and unifiers.
The last one always received the most votes, simply because no one was excluded.
Dinorat kept dancing, wearing a heart-shaped mascot costume that read:
"We love everyone, vote for the Unifiers."
All he could feel was shame. Thanks to Hanna, he was enduring great humiliation, but to be honest, it was worth it. Technological advances were nearly daily, and most of them were genuinely useful. If you wanted to live comfortably, your salary had to be at least 20,000 Kaleas, though it was possible to get by with just 10,000.
Dinorat didn't stop dancing. From time to time, he'd check his watch:
10:00 a.m. daycycle... 12:00 p.m... 2:00 p.m... and finally 4:00 p.m.
At last, it was time to go home. He took off the ridiculous costume and headed to the office to claim his hard-earned, absurdly earned 20,000 Kaleas.
On the way, he couldn't resist his old habits. As he passed the front desk, he muttered:
"Hello, Kitsune... you too, Sara..."
Then it hit him. Dinorat couldn't help but remember his late companions. Both had died during a strange mission on the continent of Vald.
He felt a wave of sadness. With hesitant steps, he made his way to the chief's office, reported that the job was done, and left.
On his way back home, he looked unwell. His gaze was unfocused, seeing everything but what was in front of him.
At some point, he turned down a street that didn't lead home. He wandered into a well-kept gym, walked past the machines, and eventually reached a room labeled "Meditation Zone." The place was dimly lit with scented candles, and people were deeply immersed in thought.
Dinorat sat down and crossed his legs. Then he looked within.
He tried to forget the loss, but the pain remained.
That mission had left a scar.
The report said it was a weak Castford, but whatever it was, it didn't resemble one at all. At least, that's what he truly believed. The horrifying form he vaguely remembered was more like an indescribable monster that shouldn't exist.
Dinorat's eyes snapped open and his heart began to pound. His physical appearance was impressive—two meters tall, muscular, and quite handsome—but every person has a weakness. In a world where the law of the strongest ruled every corner, his fear was something many consider trivial: death.
That event that ends your existence, your feeling, your thoughts... terrified him. The very idea that his friends were no longer there, no longer able to feel anything—it haunted him.
That's why he longed for a girlfriend, not out of mere desire, but someone to support him, to be by his side unconditionally. Someone to hear those fears that haunted him when he slept, when he awoke, when he fought.
Dinorat stood up suddenly, left the room, and began watching videos on his phone—the best way to unwind, to stop thinking.
He couldn't take the atmosphere any longer, so he left the building and wandered the streets, trying to overthink trivial things, anything to distract himself.
Before long, he started to feel hungry.
He headed to a nearby restaurant he knew well—a place he used to visit often. A terrible mistake for his current mental state.
He sat down and didn't even need the menu; he already knew what he wanted: two double burgers and a soda, preferably the most generic one available.
He looked around and almost asked,
"Does anyone else want something?"
But this time, he realized it.
That restaurant used to be his hangout spot with Kitsune. Sometimes Hanna, Mia, or Sara would join, but it was mainly just the two of them.
A waiter recognized him and approached.
"Hey, Dino! How's it going? Where's Kitsune? Don't you guys usually go on missions together? Did you get in trouble?"
The waiter spoke casually, oblivious to the truth—or perhaps blessed by ignorance.
"She's gone. We went to Vald on a mission, and she died along with Sara."
Dinorat's voice came out in a whisper, barely audible, yet his friend heard it as clearly as if it had been shouted.
The waiter opened his mouth, closed it, pressed his lips together, and walked away in silence.
Moments later, he returned with the food.
"Hope you enjoy it."
With those generic words, he left again.
Dinorat took a bite of the burger, chewed, swallowed, and sighed.
"It used to taste better... I think it's missing seasoning."